For Her Own
by astraplain
Summary: After the events of Cyberwoman, Tosh holds out her hand to Ianto.


It was Toshiko that reached out to him. While the others reacted with shock and rage, she stepped into the spreading pool of Lisa's blood and held out her hand to Ianto.

The young man was paralyzed with grief, unable to accept what Tosh was offering. She took the extra step herself, leaning down to gently grasp his arm and urge him to his feet.

He blinked at her, eyes too blurred with tears to really see her. His wails had faded to hitching sobs and he followed her lead without resistance.

Tosh was aware of the others watching her guide Ianto out of the room and she was thankful that no one tried to stop her. That room would have to be cleared, the corpses and machinery disposed of, but it could be done without her; she had something more important to attend to.

The stairs were a bit tricky and Ianto stumbled more than once, making no attempt to catch himself. Somehow, Tosh managed to keep him on his feet and they finally arrived at the showers.

Ianto's jacket, tie, vest and shirt were all easily removed. It was almost like undressing a mannequin. The shoes were a bit more difficult, but she managed. It was the belt that made her hesitate - but only for a moment. Straightening her shoulders, she set herself to do what had to be done.

Fast, heavy footsteps startled her and she whipped around, slipping into a defensive posture. Her nerves were frayed and she almost welcomed the idea of having something she could hit. Fortunately, she caught herself before she flattened Owen.

He nodded at her, his expression grim, then he turned to Ianto. Without a word, he placed a hand gently on the man's arm before he set about removing the rest of Ianto's clothes and guiding him into the shower, testing the water first to make sure it was warm enough without being hot.

Tosh used the time to rifle Ianto's locker, finding a track suit and a t-shirt as well as socks, boxers and running shoes. There was even an oversized towel, neatly folded along with a thick washcloth and a face towel - all much nicer than the thin towels that were standard in the Torchwood showers.

Tosh left the items on the end of the bench nearest the shower and retreated upstairs to start clearing away the mess. Gwen was already there, her face streaked with dried tears and her eyes red-rimmed. She was fishing things out of the water that covered the main floor of the hub.

Tosh moved in beside her and began bailing the water. There was probably a bit of alien tech around that would take care of it faster, but right now she needed to do something that didn't require thought. Her mind was busy enough, sorting out the events of the past few hours and trying not to feel as if they were just as responsible for this as Ianto.

Beside her, Gwen alternated between muttering under her breath and sniffling. Tosh wasn't sure if Gwen was angry or frightened or both, but it was clear that she wasn't going to be heading downstairs to offer Ianto any comfort.

Speaking of which... Tosh glanced up as Owen led Ianto up into the main area of the hub. Owen was being unusually patient with the other man, who still seemed to be in shock. He stopped Ianto with a hand against his arm, and left him there while he dashed down into the medical bay. By the time Tosh reached Ianto, Owen was back with a small packet. He pressed it into her hand with a nod of thanks and turned back towards the stairs; there were bodies to be dealt with, including that of the missing man they'd seen on the CCTV footage.

Tosh led Ianto over to her desk, where she paused a moment to retrieve her purse and keys, thankful that she had driven today. Gwen paused in her work for a moment to nod at Tosh. She tried to look at Ianto, but couldn't quite manage it. After a moment, she lowered her head and slowly returned to salvaging what she could from the water.

With a hand on Ianto's arm, Tosh guided him from the hub, up through the tourist office and out into the night. The cool air was welcome and she paused a moment to inhale deeply. She noted the motorbike parked near the door and left Ianto for a moment to push it into the office. One more thing that would have to be taken care of.

Ianto got into the car on his own, putting on the seatbelt and keeping his eyes forward. Tosh wondered just how lucid he was, but couldn't bring herself to ask. It was a short drive to Ianto's flat - a nondescript building in a moderate neighborhood. Owen had transferred the contents of Ianto's suit pockets into Ianto's jacket. Without being prompted, Ianto handed his house keys to Tosh.

Inside the flat, Tosh quickly scanned the layout of the rooms before giving Ianto a gentle push in the direction of the bedroom. Once he was moving, she went to the kitchen and filled a glass with water. She carried it into the bedroom along with the packet that Owen had given her - there were two sleeping pills inside and the scrawl on the packet instructed Ianto to take them both.

Ianto didn't question, he simply swallowed them along with most of the glass of water. Then he set the glass carefully down on the nightstand and settled back into the bed. He met Tosh's eyes calmly, and an unspoken apology passed between them. She fussed with the covers for a moment, then straightened, intending to leave. She'd be needed at the hub for the rest of the night but she intended to take Ianto's keys and return in the morning.

Ianto caught her wrist as she was turning away. She thought she saw "thank you" there before he blinked and was caught unawares by a yawn. His eyes slid closed and she was thankful - it made it much easier to walk away.

She'd go back and help clear the rest of the debris, and she'd cover up the disappearance of the pizza delivery girl and the man that Ianto had let into the hub. And then, before she returned to check on Ianto, she'd take care of the most difficult task of the night - she'd talk to Jack.

He was furious now, and she could understand that. But she could also understand Ianto's desperate need to do something - anything - for someone he loved. She'd risked everything for her mother, and she'd paid the price. It was Jack who saved her. Now it was time for her to return the favor. For Ianto's sake. And Jack's. And perhaps, a bit, for her own.

::end::


End file.
